Automobile door lock



Sept. 13, 1966 J. PICKLES AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 4, 1965 INVENTOR. JOSEPH PICKL. S

ATTORNEYS Sept. 13, 1966 J. PICKLES AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCK Filed Jan. '4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH PICKLE'.

AT DRIVE/5 United States Patent 3,272,545 AUTOMOBILE DOUR LOCK Joseph Pickles, Dearborn, Mich, assignor to Ferro Manufacturing (Iorporation, a corporation of Michigan Filed Jim. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 423,036 7 Claims. (Cl. 292-216) The application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 362,087, filed April 23, 1964, now abandoned.

T he present invention relates to improvements in a door lock for automobiles and, more particularly, to a lock of highly simplified and inexpensively produced character having improved provisions for locking the same, these provisions, specifically involving the disabling of an outside operated actuating member of a detent device of the lock and, still more specifically, involving a direct mechanical blocking of the actuating member from moving to a detent releasing position.

The invention also contemplates improved means for kicking off the locking device of a lock automatically, in the event that an open door to which the lock is applied is closed while the lock is in an unlatched and locked condition, thereby preventing damage to the lock parts. While shown herein as applied to a blocking type lock, it will be appreciated that the kick-off means can be utilized in an overrunning or free wheeling type of disabling locking action.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved lock having locking provisions in the form of a locking plate which is swingable upon a flange portion of a mounting bracket of the lock into and out of a locking position in which a member or portion of the locking plate extends in a direction away from the flange to positively block movement of the outside operated actuating member of the detent device. Said actuating member is shown as having a fixed operating connection to a detent element or member of the device, but might be otherwise operatively connected to the element or member. The blocking or disabling of the actuating member correspondingly prevents movement of the detent member out of a latch holding condition, and thus places the lock in a locking condition.

The invention also contemplates further and improved, highly simplified means for the automatic kick-ofl of the lock device from a locked condition, in the event the door is slammed shut while the lock is in an unlatched and locked condition. Such means specifically comprises a kick-off formation, part or member integral with a locking plate of the locking device on which the blocking member or portion is carried.

In still greater detail, the invention provides for the integral formation on a pivoted latch holding member of the lock of a special kick-up abutment or shoulder, in addition to the usual two shoulders which are releasably engaged by the detent member to hold the lock in either a partial or secondary latched engagement with a door post-mounted keeper, or in a final and fully locked position of engagement with such keeper. Thus the pivoted latch member, as conventionally connected with a keeper engaging latch for rotation with the latter as a unit, itself affords the kick-off means of the lock which coacts with the locking plate in shifting the latter out of locking position.

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Briefly and in general, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved lock in which all of the functions of locking the latter and of kicking the locking member out of unlatched and locked condition are essentially performed by but three components, i.e., a specially formed locking plate pivotally mounted upon a flange of a mounting bracket, a specially formed actuating member of a detent device pivotally mounted upon a base portion of the bracket, from which the flange extends at a right angle, and a latching member or latch holding member also pivotally mounted on said base portion and provided with a special kick-off shoulder or abutment in addition to the usual latch holding abutments.

In a more specific aspect of the invention, a single coiled torsion spring serves as the agency for both urging a detent actuator member in a latch holding direction and for biasing a latching member of the lock toward a released position, once the detent actuator device is shifted against the same spring bias to latch releasing position.

The foregoing as well as other objects will become more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in generally vertical cross section transverse of a mounting bracket flange portion of the lock, showing in solid line an operative latched condition of a latch holding member of the lock and, in dotted line, the position of this latch member when in an unlatched or released condition; this view also showing in' dot-dash line the position of certain parts of the locks locking device when in a locked and latch member blocking condition;

FIG. 2 is a view in vertical cross section at a right angle to the section of FIG. 1, showing in solid and dotted line the respective locking and unlocking positions of a locking plate of the locking device, also showing in side-operated means for the actuation of this plate into and out of locking position, as well as for a latch releasing actuation of the detent device of the lock;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical section along line 3-3 of FIG. 1, indicating respectively in dotted and dot-dash line the positions of a blocking part of the locking plate in the respective unlocking and locking positions of the latter;

FIG. 4 is a view in generally vertical section along broken line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the relationship to one another of certain detent parts of the lock.

The improved lock of the invention conventionally carries its movable latch, latch holding detent and locking parts on a mounting bracket 10 which is in the form of a sheet metal stamping having an upright base plate 11 and a flange 12 extending at a right angle from the base plate portion; the bracket 10 being adapted to be fixedly mounted upon the automobile door (not shown), with the base plate extending across the free swinging edge of the door and the flange portion 12 extending along and parallel to the inner surface of the door. Likewise, in a conventional way, a pivoted latch carried by the bracket 10 is adapted to have releasable latching engagement with a keeper or striker device (also not shown) carried by an upright frame post of the automobile. Since the invention relates solely to latch holding and locking provisions, it is not deemed necessary to illustrate in detail the specific construction of the latch and striker components of the lock.

Referring to FIG. 1, a latch holding member 14 is pivotally mounted upon the base member 11 of bracket 10, and as illustrated in FIG. 3, this pivotal mount includes a stem or shaft 15 extending at a right angle through base portion 11, having the latching or latch holding member 14 secured thereon at one side of the base, and a latch member proper, generally designated 16, also secured thereto on the opposite side of the bracket base portion. Thus, the latch 16 and latch member 14 pivot as a unit.

Latch 16 is at least partially housed within a small casing 17 fixed to bracket base 11, the shaft or stud 15 having a reduced diameter extremity 13 journaled in the wall of this casing. As generally shown in FIG. 3 only, the pivoted latch 16 is a conventional one forked at 19 to straddle a part of the door post keeper or striker device when the lock is in latched condition, either fully or partially. However, as indicated above, the invention is not concerned with such details, and other alternate types of latch design are contemplated.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the latch holding member 14 is in the form of a relatively thick disc or plate which is provided on its periphery with a pair of shoulder abutments 21, 22 projecting radially outwardly therefrom in circumferentially spaced relation to one another. The abutment 21 is engaged by detent means, to be described, to hold the latch 16 in a partially, secondary or safety locked condition for engagement with the striker device (not sohwn), while the latch member abutment 22 is similarly engaged by the detent device to hold latch 16 in a final and fully latched engagement with the striker. In addition to these abutments, the latch plate 14 is formed to provide a further or third abutment shoulder 23, which serves as a locking plate kick-off element of the lock, in a manner to be described. The base portion 11 of bracket 10 also serves as a mount for a detent device of the lock which is generally designated 25, being best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings. The pivotal mount is effected at a rivet-like stud 24 by which the latch casing 17 is secured to bracket base 11.

Device 25 essentially comprises a bell crank-shaped actuating member 26 capable of being swung counterclockwise (FIG. 1) by an outside-operated handle or push button means, not shown, thus to release the latch plate 14 from either one of its safety or final latched conditions. A downwardly extending arm 27 of the actuating bell crank member 26 is formed to provide a 90 offset at 28, reference being had to FIGS. 1 and 3, from which extends at a right angle an integral connecting portion 29; and the portion 29 is in turn offset outwardly at 90 to provide an abutment member or car 30. The offset portion 28 is engaged by the outside-operated means referred to above to operate the actuating member 26 and release the latch unit. The abutment car 30 is adapted to be engaged and blocked, when the lock is in locked condition, by a part of the locking means to be described, thus blocking movement of the detent actuated to its latch releasing position or condition.

As best shown in FIG. 1, a coiled torsion spring 32 surrounds and is fixedly secured at its center to a small diameter extension 33 of the latch shaft or stud 15, the free end of the spring 32 extending downwardly to an ofiset extremity 34, which engages arm 27 at a bottom offset lug 35. This spring, as thus anchored between the detent actuating member 26 and the latch shaft 15, acts to bias the detent device 25 in a direction clockwise (FIG. 1) about its pivot at 24, and to urge the latch holding plate member 14 counterclockwise about its pivot at 15. Thus, upon outside-operated movement of the latch member 26, the detent device 25 is moved against the bias of spring 32 out of latch holding position; and the latch member 14 is, upon such detent release, snapped by the same bias from the fully latched condition thereof shown in solid line in FIG. 1 to the fully released position shown in dotted line.

A second part 36 of the bell crank actuating member 26 extends from the pivot stud 24 of the latter toward the flange 12 of mounting bracket 10, being at its end provided with a forked formation including an L-shaped opererated arm 37 which extends through a vertical slot 38 in flange 12 and a shorter, straight operating arm 39, from which the arm 37 is laterally offset, as best shown in FIG. 5. An offset lug 40 is formed integral with a second member, or detent proper, 42 of the detent device 25; and lug 40 is adapted to be engaged from beneath by operating arm 39 to unlatch detent 42 from latch plate.

Detent 42 is a small element pivoted coaxially on the stud 24 with the actuating member 26; and a coiled torsion spring 43 encircles this stud, one end of this spring having an anchor to the bracket base portion at 44 and the other end being offset at 45 (FIG. 1) and brought over the top of detent member 42. Thus, the latter urges clockwise about its pivot at stud 24. This urges an armate detent abutment nose 46 of detent 42 in a direction to engage behind one or the other of the abutments or shoulders 21, 22 to prevent counterclockwise rotation (FIG. 1) of the latching member 14 such as would unlatch the lock.

FIG. 2 of the drawings best shows features of the locking device, generally designated 48, of the improved lock, reference being also had to the other three figures in connection with its operation. Locking device 48 comprises a single locking plate 49 which is pivotally mounted upon the bracket flange 12 by means of a rivet-headed stud 50. Plate 49 is formed to provide, at the top thereof, a pair of 90 laterally offset lugs 51 and 52, which are engageable in a manner to be described by an insideoperated locking lever 53 in the actions of the latter in placing lock device 48 in locking and unlocked position, respectively, indicated in solid and dotted lines in a part of FIG. 2.

In order to limit the movement of plate 49 to the solid line locking position of FIG. 2, i.e., clockwise about the plate pivot at stud 50, the plate 49 is formed to provide, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a laterally projecting offset foot portion 55; and this portion is in turn offset again to provide a toe extremity 56, an outer edge of which engages the bracket base 11 as a stop to limit motion of plate 49 in the locking direction, the toe 56 being shown in dotted line in the unlocked condition of the plate.

The offset foot 55 of locking plate 49 is, as an important feature of the invention, also formed to provide an upwardly projecting abutment heel formation or portion 57, to which later reference will be made.

Plate 49 is provided at its bottom with a laterally offset, enlarged ear 59, with a conventional coiled snap-over spring 60 anchored at its ends 61, 62 to this ear extension and to the bracket flange 12, thus in a conventional manner snap-urging the locking plate 49 to either its solid line, locked position of FIG. 2 or its dotted line, unlocked position of that figure. A conventional type of outside key-operated locking arm 63 is pivotally mounted to bracket plate 12 at 64 to act between edge surfaces of the locking plate ear extension 59 and locking plate stop toe 46 when the locking device 48 is respectively unlocked and locked by key from the outside.

Finally, the locking plate 49 is provided beneath its pivot at stud 50 with a offset blocking extension element 66 which is, upon counterclockwise swing (FIG. 2) of plate 49 to the dotted line, unlocked position, engageable with a stop formation 67 struck out from bracket flange 12, thus limiting the snap-over movement of the plate in this direction.

Blocking member 66 of plate 49 extends a substantial distance from the plane of the plate in a direction away from flange 12, i.e., to bring it, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 4, relatively close to the terminal abutment car 30 of detent actuating member 26 (shown in dotted line) and,

as indicated in FIG. 3, into the path of detent actuating and releasing movement of the ear 30, when the locking plate blocking member 66 is swung from its unlocked position (dotted line in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) to its blocking and locking position appearing in dot-dash line in FIG. 3. In the last named position, the member 66 of locking plate 49 blocks counterclockwise unlatching swing of detent device 25, reference being had to FIG. 1, and thus positively prevents release of the nose 46 of detent member 42 from latching engagement with abutment 22 of latch holding member 14.

However, when the detent member 26 is made capable of releasing latch member 14, the latter snaps to its position illustrated in dotted line in FIG. 1 of the drawings; and in this position the special abutment or shoulder 23 on the member 14 has the generally horizontal disposition shown in dotted line in FIG. 1. Should the locking plate 49 be operated, accidentally or not, to shift the latter to its locking position (solid line in FIG. 2), this will bring the upward heel extension or formation 57 on its offset foot 55 directly beneath the latch plate kick-off shoulder 23. Accordingly, should the door be slammed shut in this unlatched and locked condition, the latch holding plate member 14 will be rotated clockwise (FIG. 1) as the latch 16 inwardly engages the door post striker (not shown); and the resultant downward component of clockwise swing of kick-off abutment shoulder 23 will engage the latter with kick-off heel extension 57 of lock plate 49. This swings the plate counterclockwise (FIG. 2) and shifts its blocking member 66 from the solid line position to the dotted line position of FIG. 2; and the lock is automatically unblocked to prevent damage to its parts when the door is slammed. The upwardly moving detent lug 40 laterally clears the offset arm 37 of actuating member 26 as this takes place.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the inside-operated lever 53 shown therein is pivotally mounted by means of a riveted stud element 69 to the mounting bracket flange 12, above the locking plate 49, being counterclockwise urged, by means of a coil spring 70 encircling stud 69 which is anchored at 71 to flange 12 and is offset at 72 to act upon lever 53. The latter has means 73 at its upper extremity for connection to the usual link (not shown) of an inside or remote control operated device, in the usual fashion.

In response to clockwise rotation of the lever 53, as viewed in FIG. 2, a flat edge surface 74 on the lever is brought upwardly into engagement with the upper actuated arm 37 of the bell crank actuating member 26, thus operating the detent 42 in a direction to release latching member 14 and unlatch the lock, the arm 39 lifting the detents lug for this action.

The inside or remote control operated lever 53 also carries a rounded cam formation 75 adjacent its detent operating edge 74; and this formation 75 acts between the offset lugs 51 and 5 2 of locking plate 49 to place the latter in the respective solid and dotted line locking and unlocking conditions of FIG. 2. Thus, as swung counterclockwise by the inside operator, i.e., oppositely of the direction of swing to unlatch the lock, the cam formation engages the locking plate lug 52 to swing plate 49 clockwise (FIG. 2) to its locking position.

On the other hand, when lever 53 is swung clockwise in the door unlatching direction, its cam portion 75 engages the other offset lug 51 of the locking plate, prior to unlatching operation of the detent structure by its edge surface 74; this swings the locking plate counterclockwise to its dotted line unlocking position.

It is seen that the improved lock is most economically and efiiciently constructed as to its parts, particularly those involved in the blocking of the detent device 25 against unlatching movement, and the automatic kick-off of the locking device 48 through the direct ooacti-on of the latch member 14 and a member of locking plate 49; and in the biasing of the detent device 25 as well as the latching plate member 14 in the two opposite directions (FIGS. 1 and 3) about their respective pivots by a single spring 32. In many respects the lock presents substantial advantages in point of manufacturing and assembly operations, without sacrifice in any degree to effectiveness in operation under the usual expected conditions.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved automobile door lock in such fu'll, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A door lock comprising a mounting bracket, a latching member and a detent device both pivotally mounted on said bracket, said latching member having at least one projecting abutment controlled by said detent device to releasab-ly hold said member in a door latching position, and a further projecting kick-oif abutment to function in the unlocking of said door lock, said detent device including a detent element engagoable with said first-named abutment of said latching member to hold the latter in said door latching position, and an actuating member engageable and movable with said detent element to move the latter out of said holding engagement with the first named abutment in one direction of pivotal movement of the actuating member and detent element, said detent element also being movable relative to said actuating member in said direction in a further movement of the element out of said holding position, a locking device mounted on said bracket for movement into and out of a locking position, said locking device including a member movable upon movement of said locking device to locking position to a position of said member in which it renders said detent element incapable of being moved by said actuating member in said one direction out of said holding position, said locking device also including a kickoff part positioned when said locking device is in said locking condition in posil'ElOIl in opposing relation to said kick-off abutment of said latching member, said kick-off part when in said opposing relation being engageabie by said kickoff abutment to be shifted out of said last named position, said kick-off part and member of said locking device being operatively connected to one another whereby said last named shift of the part shifts said member of said looking device out of said position rendering said actuating member incapable of moving said detent element out of said holding position, said detent element being actuable by said latching member for said further movement when said latching member moves toward said latching position.

2. The door lock of claim 1, in which said member of said locking device is a blocking member which, in said locking position, blocks said actuating member from moving said detent element out of said holding position.

3. The door lock of claim 1, and further comprising a single spring urging said detent element toward said holding position and urging said latching member in a direction away from said door latching position.

4. The door lock of claim 1, in which said member of said locking device is a blocking member which, in said locking position, blocks said actuating member from moving said detent element out of said holding position, and further comprising a single spring urging said detent element toward said holding position and urging said latching member in a direction .away from said door laching position.

5. The door lock of claim 1, in which said actuating member includes a part engageable with said detent element to move the latter out of said holding position, and a further part, and inside operating means engageable with said further part of the actuating member to shift the latter, thereby causing said first named part of the actuating member to shift the detent out of said holding position.

6. The door lock of claim 5, and further comprising a single spring urging said detent element toward said '7 8 holding position and urging said latching member in a References Cited by the Examiner direction away from said door latching position. UNITED STATES PATENTS 7. The door lock of claim 1, in which said actuating member and said detent element are pivotally mounted on said bracket on a common pivotal axis, and a single 5 2,738,212 3/1956 coiled torsion spring acting to urge the actuating member 3047325 7/1962 De Vlto' i in the direct-ion opposite its said one direction of pivotal movement and to urge said latching member out of said EDWARD ALLEN Prlmary Exammer' latching position. RICHARD E. MOORE, Examiner.

2,723,146 11/1955 Dingman et a1. 

1. A DOOR LOCK COMPRISING A MOUNTING BRACKET, A LATCHING MEMBER AND A DETENT DEVICE BOTH PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BRACKET, SAID LATCHING MEMBER HAVING AT LEAST ONE PROJECTING ABUTMENT CONTROLLED BY SAID DETENT DEVICE TO RELEASABLY HOLD SAID MEMBER IN A DOOR LATCHING POSITION, AND A FURTHER PROJECTING KICK-OFF ABUTMENT TO FUNCTION IN THE UNLOCKING OF SAID DOOR LOCK, SAID DETENT DEVICE INCLUDING A DETENT ELEMENT ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID FIRST-NAMED ABUTMENT OF SAID LATCHING MEMBER TO HOLD THE LATTER IN SAID DOOR LATCHING POSITION, AND AN ACTUATING MEMBER ENGAGEABLE AND MOVABLE WITH SAID DETENT ELEMENT TO MOVE THE LATTER OUT OF SAID HOLDING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FIRST NAMED ABUTMENT IN ONE DIRECTION OF PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE ACTUATING MEMBER AND DETENT ELEMENT, SAID DETENT ELEMENT ALSO BEING MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID ACTUATING MEMBER IN SAID DIRECTION IN A FURTHER MOVEMENT OF THE ELEMENT OUT OF SAID HOLDING POSITION, A LOCKING DEVICE MOUNTED ON SAID BRACKET FOR MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF A LOCKING POSITION, SAID LOCKING DEVICE INCLUDING A MEMBER MOVABLE UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID LOCKING DEVICE TO LOCKING POSITION TO A POSITION OF SAID MEMBER IN WHICH IT RENDERS SAID DETENT ELEMENT INCAPABLE OF BEING MOVED BY SAID ACTUATING MEMBER IN SAID ONE DIRECTION OUT OF SAID HOLDING POSITION, SAID LOCKING DEVICE ALSO INCLUDING A KICK-OFF PART POSITIONED WHEN SAID LOCKING DEVICE IS IN SAID LOCKING CONDITION IN POSITION IN OPPOSING RELATION TO SAID KICK-OFF ABUTMENT OF SAID LATCHING MEMBER, SAID KICK-OFF PART WHEN IN SAID OPPOSING RELATION BEING ENGAGEABLE BY SAID KICK-OFF ABUTMENT TO BE SHIFTED OUT OF SAID LAST NAMED POSITION, SAID KICK-OFF PART AND MEMBER OF SAID LOCKING DEVICE BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO ONE ANOTHER WHEREBY SAID LAST NAMED SHIFT OF THE PART SHIFTS SAID MEMBER OF SAID LOCKING DEVICE OUT OF SAID POSITION RENDERING SAID ACTUATING MEMBER INCAPABLE OF MOVING SAID DETENT ELEMENT OUT OF SAID HOLDING POSITION, SAID DETENT ELEMENT BEING ACTUABLE BY SAID LATCHING MEMBER FOR SAID FURTHER MOVEMENT WHEN SAID LATCHING MEMBER MOVES TOWARD SAID LATCHING POSITION. 